How to find new repertoire for gigs

Are you sick of singing the same songs everywhere you go?

It is really useful to continue to build up your repertoire throughout your singing career. Not only does this help your singing ability but it may also help you get more gigs.
You can probably get away with doing a gig with around 20 songs but to be a great vocalist with a versatile repertoire it is great to have a goal of learning up to 300-400 cover songs. Of course this is not absolutely necessary but it’s a fantastic goal.

Step 1

Choose your style

Not everyone is able to sing Tina Turner or Frank Sinatra. It is very important to figure out what songs suit your voice.

Choose your audience

You may have the most amazing voice but singing musical theatre songs at your gig in the local pub, probably won’t give you the audience response you were hoping for. Think about your audience and venue. Make sure you choose songs that will work in the gigs surroundings.

Step 2

So you have managed to get a gig and you know what genre is going to suit the venue. You already have 20 songs polished but you now need to build up your specialized repertoire. Where to now?

Option 1

Singing with backing tracks.

iTunes store have many backing tracks available to purchase. You can also download lyrics at numerous websites including
www.metrolyrics.com
www.lyrics007.com
www.azlyrics.com
www.lyricsfreak.com


Option 2

Learning songs from sheet music.

You have many options on where to find sheet music for your desired songs.
Music can be bought in hard copy from music stores and online.
Here are some recommended sites
www.sheetmusicplus.com
www.amazon.com

You can also download copies online at several websites. Some sites offer free sheet music downloads eg. http://www.8notes.com
Sheet music is a good way of learning the correct melody, rhythm and lyrics all at the same time.

Please be careful with copyright laws and licensing when looking for music.

Have fun and keep singing.